Free Ranging Muscovey Ducks Vitamin Deficiencies In Ducklings

[Wao nahele kane]

If anyone has dealt with wry neck or leg weakness/crippling in their free-range ducklings, it’s worth considering vitamin deficiencies.

• Niacin (Vitamin B3) is key for leg issues, bowed legs, and the progressive crippling/weakness that can lead to paralysis-like symptoms.

• B-complex vitamins, Vitamin E, and selenium are commonly linked to wry neck (twisted neck) problems.

I’ve been supplementing the affected duckling with these four (niacin/B3, B-complex, Vitamin E, and selenium) and have seen excellent results so far. In the past, we unfortunately let these cases go, but the treatments are actually quite simple. They do require consistent dosing and some physical therapy to help retrain their neurological and muscular coordination, but the improvement is noticeable with time and patience.

[terracore]

We've never had these problems, however our muscovies are only 99% free ranging their food. They get a small amount of poultry pellets per day. Not a significant amount, maybe the equivalent of a child's handful per bird. Perhaps that is all they need to avoid the deficiencies you describe.

The symptoms you are describing can also be from parasite loads like coccidiosis, which is abundant here. Muscovies are pretty resilient against it and your vitamin regimen may be all they need.

A small amount of daily general flock and fowl feed might be easier than your vitamin regimen. We buy the stuff from Walmart:

"Super Fowl & Flock Pellet 40 lb Bag
Product details

This feed may be fed to all classes of poultry
20% Protein all purpose 1/8" mini pellet
essential oils to books immunity and reduce stress
pre and probiotics to aid in digestion
clean feed screend for less fines" (sic)

They also seem to do fine on small amounts of chicken layer feed, just make sure not to give water fowl (including muscovies) medicated chicken feed.